Hair drying and styling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Hair drying and styling apparatus featuring multiple tool supports and styling tools interchangeably mountable thereon, one of the supports being a hair drying unit.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,903,905

Tucker Sept. 9, 1975 [54] HAIR DRYING AND STYLING APPARATUS 3,l50 393 9/l964 Taylor cl ul. lS/Z} 314L560 3/1966 Willa! [32/9 [751 Imam James Edgar Tuck 1420,24? H1969 Seugruvc 4 4 4 4 132/9 7 Assigneez The Gillette Company1 BOSOn 3,613.25? lO/l97l Yashuke CI all. 34/91 NlasS 3,6961%[8 lO/l972 Weber 132/9 3,7ZL25O 3/1973 Wultcr l32/ll A [22] Filed: ()Cl. 9, 1973 [2H Appl' 404'l93 Primary ExuminerG. E. McNcill Related US. Application Data [63] Cantinuulion of Scrv No 258648, June I I972 abandoned ABSTRACT Hair drying and styling apparatus featuring multiple 1581 Field of Search .4 132/9, 11 A, I60; 15/23. i i g fi s gxg gi i z m i z f l" 15/400; 34 91, 97 pp g l g umL [56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, [6 Drawlng Flgures l 5'-)7 l'l55 S/lJZh Zahorsky l v l l l v l l l l 1 l 15/400 PATENTED 35F 75 sum 2 p 13 THERMOSTAT 68 HEATER 56 VOLTAGE DROPPER FIG 6 HAIR DRYING AND STYLING APPARATUS This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 258,648. filed June 1, I972. now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to portable hair drying and styling apparatus.

While electrically-heated forced-air hair dryers have been proposed in a variety of forms, most have suffered from various deficiencies such as lack of portability or lack of access to the hair for manipulating it during the drying process. In the case of those which have provided for portability and access to the hair, there has been no provision of implements for manipulating the hair apart from those mounted on the dryer in fixed position with respect to the air stream. For most effective use of forced hot air hair dryers it is important to have a variety of hair-styling implements available both for interchangeably mounting on the housing of the dryer in fixed position with respect to the stream of heated air and also for interchangeable use independently of but in conjunction with the dryer, as for example when the dryer is manipulated with one hand while an implement is manipulated with another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a hair dryer with styling tools in an arrangement which is easily used and allows great flexibility in the sorts of styling operations which may be carried out.

In general. the invention features multiple tool supports and styling tools interchangeably mountable on the supports. One of the supports is a hair drying unit. and the other is a handle having a hand grip and a mounting portion extending in opposite directions along an axis. the mounting portion being slidably engagable with the tools. In another aspect the invention features a hair curling tool mountable on the dryer and having comb teeth extending outwardly from a curved metallic heat sink about which hair can be wrapped. the heat sink having a portion in the path of air from the dryer when installed.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings herein of a preferred embodiment thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of a hair dryer according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken from the bottom of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. I in which portions of the hair dryer have been broken away to reveal details of its construction.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. I showing the comb portion of the hair dryer in a detached position;

FIG. 5 is a view taken at 5-5 of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram for the hair dryer of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 7-9 are perspective views of additional styling tools. FIG. 9 being partially broken away;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an air concentrator:

FIG. I I is a perspective view ofa handle for the tools;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a modified and reversible form of handle;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the handle taken from the bottom of FIG. I2;

FIG. I4 is a bottom plan view of a styling tool similar to that shown in FIG. 8 modified for mounting on the handle of FIG. I2;

FIG. I5 is an end elevational view of the tool of FIG. I4; and

FIG. 16 is an end elevational view showing the tool of FIG. 14 mounted on the handle of FIG. I2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the hair dryer includes a dryer housing It] which is preferably made of plastic and comprises separable portions 14 and 16 which are held together by means of screws (not shown). The housing defines an air inlet in the form of a series of elongated slots 18 in the portion 14 of the housing 10. An air outlet 20 is provided in the lower end of the hair dryer as seen in FIG. 2. A protective grill 22 (FIG. 2) is mounted over the opening of the air outlet. by means of screws 23, to protect the user from injury during operation of the dryer. A three position switch 24 is also provided. The operation of switch 24 will be under' stood in connection with the description of the circuit diagram of FIG. 6.

Blower means are provided within the housing I0 for drawing a stream of air into the air inlet. through the dryer housing and forcing it out of the air outlet. As shown best in FIG. 3, the blower means may comprise a tangential fan 26 of cylindrical form having a plurality of blades 28 which are generally parallel to the cylindrical axis. Fan 26 is mounted for rotation directly below the air inlet slots 18. A channel is provided within the housing 10 which extends between the fan 26 and the air outlet 20. Electrical air heating means (described below with relation to FIG. 6] may be positioned in the channel. An electrical power cord 30 extends from the end of a handle portion 32 of the housing I0.

As best seen in FIG. 3. a fine mesh screen 34 such as conventional insect screening is mounted within the housing 10 extending across the entire region of the air inlet slots 18. Such a screen may conveniently be attached to the inner surface of the upper portion 14 in any conventional fashion.

Various hair styling attachments may be interchangeably mounted over the air outlet 20. Thus. comb 36 includes a plurality of teeth 38 which. when the comb is mounted on the dryer (FIG. 1), are aligned with the general direction of air flow from outlet 20 (i.c.. perpendicular to grill 22), and which preferably taper in a direction away from the air outlet 20. The teeth extend from a back member 40 which is preferably tear-drop shaped. or airfoil, in cross section with the pointed end facing the air outlet 20. This configuration provides for a smooth flow of air to both sides of the combs teeth 38. A pair of parallel bars or clamps 42 are provided for engagement with elongated recesses or slots 44 in the surface of dryer housing 10 adjacent to. and generally parallel with. the air outlet 20 on opposite sides of the housing. The bars 42 are connected to the back member 40 by means of a plurality of ribs 46. The ribs 46 are preferably paired as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. The embodiment illustrated includes three pairs of ribs. those pairs being identified by the reference numbers 46a, 46b. and 460. The ribs (as well as the entire comb 36) are preferably made from stiff but resilient plastic material. Walls 50 are provided between the ribs at the ends of the comb (i.e.. ribs 46:: and 46c) to assist in channeling the air from the air outlet along the eombs teeth.

Projections 48 protrude slightly in the direction of teeth 38 from the unde rsurface of bars 42. The distance between the plane of upper edges SI of walls and the lower surfaces of projections 48, in the relaxed configuration of the comb, is slightly less than the thickness T (FIG. 4) of housing 10 and grill 22 below recesses 44. With this arrangement the comb may be easily attached or removed from the dryer by a relative sliding motion. and yet is firmly retained in position by the resilient force of projections 48 and edges 5] against the adjacent dryer surfaces.

In operation. the hand held hair dryer may be used with or without comb 36 in close proximity to the hair without fear of the hair being drawn through the air inlet into contact with the rotor 26, because of the protective screen 34. It has been found that by use of the comb 36, with drying air being supplied to flow along the teeth 38, more rapid drying of the hair is accomplished.

Referring to the electrical circuit diagram of FIG. 6. a power cord 52 supplies power to a voltage dropper 54 (and heater 56 if switch 58 is in the HOT position). Rectifier 60 is supplied at its opposite input terminals 62 and 64 from the voltage dropper and the other line of the power cord. Motor 66 is supplied from the rectifier and is connected in a conventional fashion to rotate the blower means described above. Thermostat 68 is located within the dryer housing l0 and opens the circuit to protect the dryer if overheating occurs. The heater 56 preferably comprises resistance coils which are positioned in the channel leading from the blower 26 to the air outlet 20.

Additional attachments are shown in FIGS. 7I0, all preferably of the same material as comb 36 except as described otherwise.

Styling brush 70 (FIG. 7) has a series of curved. spaced ribs 71 extending between side portions 72. Portions 72 are internally recessed at 73 to define ridges 74 which serve the purpose of bars 42 discussed above. Bristles 75 (most of which have been omitted in the drawing to expose the ribs) extend at various angles from ribs 7]. An alternate manner of holding a styling tool in place on the dryer is shown in connection with brush 70; surfaces 76 of ridges 74 are. in the relaxed configuration of the brush. spaced apart slightly less than the distance between recesses 44, so that the resilient clamping forces are exerted against the floor surfaces of the recesses. End walls 77 serve the purpose of walls 50 of comb 36.

Curl curver 80 (FIG. 8) includes a comb 82 much like comb 36, except that its teeth are closer together and its ribs 88 have central enlarged, generally rectan gular walls 90 which provide a seat for semi-cylindrical metal curver 92. Curver 92 has a central longitudinal slot 94 through which the comb teeth fit. transverse slots 96 through which the corners of walls 90 fit, and shorter slots 98 which provide a generally perforated surface. Lateral projections I00 from walls 90 snap into slots 96 when curver 92 is pressed onto comb 82, retaining the two pieces together. In use, air from the dryer heats curver 92. which acts as a metal heat sink. Hair may be curled by wrapping it around curver 92.

Another form of curl curver is shown in FIG. 9. Metal cylinder I I0 has half its length covered by a plastic sup port 112 having a slotted semi-cylindrical grill I14 from which extend parallel walls lI6 internally rccessed to provide ridges I18 which cooperate with recesses 44 of the dryer. Cylinder IIO has an open sector I20 adjacent grill [[4, and, opposite sector I20, a smaller open sector 122. End wall 124 of support 112 closes the end of cylinder I10. The other half of cylinder has a slot 126 through which extend comb teeth I28 arranged in three staggered rows on comb back I30. Back 130 is riveted to cylinder I10 at I3I and is narrower than slot I26 so as to leave air flow spaces I32 around the comb. In use. cylinder I10 acts as a heat sink in much the same manner as curver 92, thus aiding the curling of hair wrapped around the metal.

Air concentrator 134 (FIG. I0) is a four walled housing of converging cross-section with internal ridges I35 at its wider end arranged to cooperate with recesses 44 to hold the concentrator on the dryer. In use the concentrator narrows and increases the velocity of the air stream from the dryer, which exits through the narrower end I36 of the concentrator.

FIG. I I shows a plastic handle I40 having a tapered. hand-sized grip I42. with finger recesses 144 on opposite surfaces. and, extending from the grip in the opposite direction along longitudinal axis 146, a tool mount 148. Mount 148 is generally rectangular and has recesses I50 along its opposite edges parallel to axis I46. Recesses 150 correspond dimensionally and in function to recesses 44 on the dryer and enable any of the styling tools described above to be alternately mounted on handle I40. Thus, for example. long hair may be conveniently curled by mounting one of the curl curvers on handle I40. curving the hair around the curl curver with one hand. while directing the dryer (perhaps using concentrator 134) with the other hand. Many other combinations are possible. The provision of both the dryer and handle 140 as interchangeable tool mounts. with a set of interchangeable tools. makes possible great efficiency and flexibility in use of the equipment.

In the modified form of handle and tool shown in FIGS. I2 to 16 the handle I60 is generally similar to that of FIG. II except that the tool mount I62 is provided with stepped sidewall portions in the form of laterally projecting median tongue I64, 164 extending along both opposite edges equally spaced from top and bottom surfaces, as appears best in FIG. I3. Tool I70 is provided with side walls I72 supported by ribs 88 and having longitudinal grooves 174 spaced from the bottom surface I76 of ribs 88 by a dimension equal to the spacing between tongues 164 and the top and bottom surfaces of tool mount 162. Detents I78, I78 project from the sides of tool mount I62 both above and below tongues 164 in position to seat in recesses I80, of the side walls I72 of the tool. In addition. the side walls are flared at their ends to provide camming surfaces 182, 182 which. because of the resiliency of the molded plastic from which the ribs 88 and side walls I72 are made permit the side walls to separate laterally to ride up over detents I78 when the tool is slid endwise onto the tool mount with tongues I64, 164 seated in grooves I74, 174, the sliding being continued until the detents I78 are resiliently seated in recesses I80, thus removably or releasably locking the tool in operative position. A similar set of recesses 190. I90 and camming surfaces I92, 192 are provided at the opposite end of the tool side walls. so that the locking action will take place no matter which end of the tool mount enters the tool first and no matter which face of the tool mount is uppermost.

The modified construction of FIGS. [3-16 is useful on hair dryers as well as on handles, although end for end reversibility alone. not top for bottom reversibility, is advantageous in the ease of dryers.

Other embodiments are within the following claims:

I claim:

1. Portable hair styling apparatus. comprising a plurality of hair styling tools, and

a pair of tool supports,

said tools and said supports having respective complementary portions engageable for interchangeably detachably mounting said tools on either of said supports,

one of said supports comprising a dryer housing dcfining an air inlet and a single air outlet and including therein blower means disposed within the housing for drawing a stream of air into the air inlet, through the dryer housing, and forcing it out of the air outlet, said complementary portions of said one of said supports being arranged on said housing for engaging said complementary portions of said tools to support said respective tools at least partially within the air stream from said outlet,

the other of said supports being a handle having hand-grip and mounting portions extending in opposite directions along an axis, said complementary portions of said other of said supports being arranged on said mount portion for engaging said complementary portions of said tools to support said respective tools projecting laterally from said axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said complementary portions ofsaid tools are relatively slidably engageable with said complementary portions of said supports 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said tools comprises a hair curler having a base; a metallic. curved, heat sink mounted on said base and having a portion disposed to be in the path of air from said outlet when said curler is mounted on 6 said dryer,

said dryer including means for heating air in said stream, and

comb teeth extending outwardly from said heat sink.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said complementary portions comprise mating tongue and groove constructions resiliently mounted for movement laterally of each other together with detents and recesses adjacent said tongue and groove arranged for mating during sliding engagement of said tongue and groove for releasably locking said tools and supports in operative position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of tools include a styling brush, a comb, and a hair curler.

6. Portable hair styling apparatus, comprising a dryer housing defining an air inlet and a single air outlet and including therein blower means disposed within the housing for drawing a stream of air into the air inlet, through the dryer housing, and forcing it out of the air outlet, and

a hair curling tool comprising a base a metallic, curved, heat sink mounted on said base,

said dryer including means for heating air in said stream, and

comb teeth extending outwardly from said heat sink.

said tool base and said housing having respective portions complementary to each other engageable to enable said tool to be detachably mounted on said dryer with a portion of said heat sink in the path of air from said dryer outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said base and said teeth are integral and formed of plastic and said teeth project through said heat sink.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said heat sink extends partially around an axis and has its concave side facing said base and exposed by said base to said air stream from said outlet when said tool is mounted on said housing, said teeth are arranged longitudinally of said axis, and said heat sink is provided with openings for air passage therethrough at opposite sides of said teeth. 

1. Portable hair styling apparatus, comprising a plurality of hair styling tools, and a pair of tool supports, said tools and said supports having respective complementary portions engageable for interchangeably detachably mounting said tools on either of said supports, one of said supports comprising a dryer housing defining an air inlet and a single air outlet and including therein blower means disposed within the housing for drawing a stream of air into the air inlet, through the dryer housing, and forcing it out of the air outlet, said complementary portions of said one of said supports being arranged on said housing for engaging said complementary portions of said tools to support said respective tools at least partially within the air stream from said outlet, the other of said supports being a handle having hand-grip and mounting portions extending in opposite directions along an axis, said complementary portions of said other of said supports being arranged on said mount portion for engaging said complementary portions of said tools to support said respective tools projecting laterally from said axis.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said complementary portions of said tools are relatively slidably engageable with said complementary portions of said supports.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said tools comprises a hair curler having a base; a metallic, curved, heat sink mounted on said base and having a portion disposed to be in the path of air from said outlet when said curler is mounted on said dryer, said dryer including means for heating air in said stream, and comb teeth extending outwardly from said heat sink.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said complementary portions comprise mating tongue and groove constructions resiliently mounted for movement laterally of each other together with detents and recesses adjacent said tongue and groove arranged for mating during sliding engagement of said tongue and groove for releasably locking said tools and supports in operative position.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of tools include a styling brush, a comb, and a hair curler.
 6. Portable hair styling apparatus, comprising a dryer housing defining an air inlet and a single air outlet and including therein blower means disposed within the housing for drawing a stream of air into the air inlet, through the dryer housing, and forcing it out of the air outlet, and a hair curling tool comprising a base a metallic, curved, heat sink mounted on said base, said dryer including means for heating air in said stream, and comb teeth extending outwardly from said heat sink, said tool base and said housing having respective portions complementary to each other engageable to enable said tool to be detachably mounted on said dryer with a portion of said heat sink in the path of air from said dryer outlet.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said base and said teeth are integral and formed of plastic and said teeth project through said heat sink.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said heat sink extends partially around an axis and has its concave side facing said base and exposed by said base to said air stream from said outlet when said tool is mounted on said housing, said teeth are arranged longitudinally of said axis, and said heat sink is provided with openings for air passage therethrough at opposite sides of said teeth. 